About Bronwyn
I am a contemporary classical realist artist, specialising in still life oil paintings, botanical plant portraits and natural history subjects in graphite and watercolour.
My approach is to explore the fundamental essence of a subject including its form, its rhythms, its history, its place in the environment and its seasonal changes. My paintings are highly observed and detailed and aim to have a richness of depth, colour and luminosity which is created by applying a grisaille underpainting then many thin layers of glazing. My paintings and drawings take many months to complete.
Resides: Mount Beauty, Victoria, Australia.
Education
2022 Master Class – Drawing, Académie Giglio, Florence.
2006 Master Class – Still Life, Angel Fine Art Academy, Florence.
1989 University of Sydney, Bachelor of Law.
1987 University of Sydney, Bachelor of Arts (Major in Fine Arts).
Group Exhibitions
2025 - Finalist Art Renewal Centre, 17th International Salon
2024 - Lethbridge Art Prize, Sydney
2024 - Finalist Ravenswood Art Prize, Sydney
2023 - Dobell Drawing Prize Regional Travelling Exhibition
2023 - Dobell Drawing Prize, National Art School, Sydney.
2023 - Art Renewal Centre, 16th International Salon, Semi-Finalist, New York
2022 - Bright Autumn Exhibition, Victoria
2021 - Fungi - Botanica — Selected for Group Exhibition, RBG, Sydney
2021 - Lethbridge Art Prize, Finalist, Brisbane
2020 - Cultivate — Selected for Group Exhibition, RBG, Sydney
2019 - Beechworth Botanica, Beechworth, Victoria
2019-2023 - Bright Regional Gallery Art Show, Bright, Victoria
2019 - Wild — Selected for Group Exhibition, RBG, Sydney
2019 - Harvest —Selected for Group Exhibition, RBG, Sydney
2018 - Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Finalist, Sydney
2018 - Jacaranda Acquisitive Art Award and Travelling Exhibition, (JADA), Grafton
2018 - World Botanical Exhibition, Canberra
2012-2021 - Gosford Art Prize, Central Coast, NSW
2008-2021 - Botanica, Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, NSW
2017-2018 - Finalist, Hunters Hill Art Show
2018 - Down Under 11, Selected for Group Exhibition, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London
2017 - Finalist, Hornsby Shire Art Exhibition, NSW
2015 - Group Exhibition, Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
2014 - Masters of Botanical Art in the 21st Century, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London
2013 - At the Artists Table, Group Exhibition, Lions Gate Lodge, RBG
2011 - Finalist, Dobell Prize for Drawing, Art Gallery of NSW
2016 - Hunt Institute, Recent Art Acquisitions, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
2006 - BASA Parliament House, Sydney
2004-2005 - Canberra Botanical, Canberra
2005 - Finalist, The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, South Australian Museum
2004 - The 11th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration, Hunt Institute, Boston, USA
2003 - BASA, Mosman Regional Gallery
2000 - Botanical Art Society of Australia (BASA) Penrith Regional Gallery
Selected Awards
2024 - People’s Choice, Mount Beauty Art Show, Victoria
2023 - Highly Recommended and People’s Choice, Bowral Still Life Prize, NSW
2022 - Highly Recommended Bright Autumn Art Show, Victoria
2019 - 2nd Prize, The Yancoal Singleton Art prize, Miniature
2019 - The RAS Committee Award for Best Art Exhibit in SHow
2019 - The Margaret Fesq Memorial Art Prize, Watercolour
2019 - First Prize, Watercolour, RAS Award of Medallion of Excellence
2019 - First Prize, Still Life, Royal Agricultural Society Show of NSW (RAS) and RAS Medallion of Excellence
2019 - Highly Commended Drawing Bright Regional Art Exhibition, Victoria
2018 - First Prize, Watercolour, Wangaratta Art Show, Victoria
2018 - Judges Award, King Valley Art Show, Victoria
2018 - First Prize, King Valley Art Show, Victoria, Drawing
2018 - Commercial, Small Works, Hunters Hill Art Show
2018 - First Prize Miniature, 2nd Prize Drawing, 2nd Prize Still Life, RAS
2017 - 2nd Prize, Still Life RAS
2017 - Winner, Small Works, Ryde Art Show
2017 - Viewer’s Choice, Pirtek Still Life Award, Bowral, NSW
2017 - Commended, Pirtek Still Life Award, Bowral, NSW
2017 - Highly Commended, Small Works, Hunters Hill Art Show
2016 - People’s Choice, Wildlife and Botanical Art Exhibition, Canberra
2016 - Highly Commended and Viewers Choice, Lane Cove Art Show, Drawing
2016 - First Prize, Drawing, Sydney Royal Easter Show (RAS)
2016 - Winner, Gosford Art Prize, NSW
2004 - Winner, Fruit Category, BASA, Sydney
2004 - Gold Medal for a series of eight paintings depicting vitis vinifera, The Royal Horticultural Society, London
2001 - Winner, native category, Botanical Art Society of Australia, BASA, Sydney
International and national corporate collections
Hunt and Carnegie Melon Institute, USA.
Kew Gardens, London.
Collection of Dr Shirley Sherwood, London.
Lilianfels Hotel, Katoomba, ‘Wollemi nobilis - Wollemi Pine’.
Supreme Court of New South Wales.
High Court of Australia, Canberra, Australia.
Texts
The Art of Plant Evolution. John Kress & Shirley Sherwood, Kew Publishing 2009
Treasures of Botanical Art. Shirley Sherwood & Martin Prix, Kew Publishing.
Artist Profile - Central Coast Express Advocate – 18 February 2003 – The Wollemi Pine.
Artist Profile - Central Coast Express Advocate – 2002, 2003, 2004.
Feature Cover - Newsletter of the Friends of the Garden, Sydney, 2001 & 2002.
Feature Article - Newsletter BASA 1999. Exhibition Poster, BASA – 2001.